In The Thaw
by decayANDescape
Summary: Hacker / PI Bella Swan, finds herself in rainy Forks trying to solve a disappearance that's gone cold for years. In the midst of this dreary town, a silver Volvo appears at the police station and becomes a permanent fixture along with its owner, who happens to be a journalist, writing about the unsolved crime. All human. Usual pairings. Adult situations. Dark. OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello hello!**

**Thank you so much for stopping by. I have never published/posted anything on Fanfiction before. But I've been a secret fan/reader/reviewer for years. After many ideas that I've scrapped, I finally settled on this one. This is my first real fanfiction. I do not have BETA, I do not have any friends on here. I'm a total n00b. So please be gentle! If errors are made, I assure you they are somehow missed. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so please let me know if there are. Sometimes we miss things. **

**THIS STORY IS MATURE ADULTS ONLY. This first chapter is already SUPER lemon-y. It's a bit of a shocker, but hey, that's how I do. **

**It will be a HEA at some point, but it's gonna be one hell of a ride to get there.**

**So, strap yourselves in. Please keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and keep flash photography until the end. Thank you.**

**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.**

**I do not own any Twilight characters, nor do I wish to.**  
><strong>I just like to make them completely different from the originals, because well, c'mon now.<strong>

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><p><em>Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be landing in twenty minutes or so. Please make your way back to your seats. Flight attendants, prepare for landing.<em>

Bella pressed the button to set her seat back into upright position. Not that it made much of a difference, being in first class and all. She threw back what watered down remains she had of her drink, and shoved her table back into it's cubby in the armrest. Her razor blade necklace hung heavily around her neck, getting caught on the torn lip of her grey shirt. _I need some fucking new clothes._ She thought, jamming her headphones back on over her head. Nine Inch Nails blared into her ears.

The plane tilted to the left and she peeked out the window. She could see Midtown Manhattan looming underneath her. Yes, she was miles and miles high in the sky, but Manhattan always stands tall from any direction. The sun was blazing down on the city, and she could see tiny ant like shapes moving through the streets. Even though Trent Reznor was screaming at her _GOD IS DEAD AND NO ONE CARES_, she could almost hear the noise of the city. She could almost smell the trash, the sweat, the fumes from the cars. She could feel the rumble of the subway under her feet. She closed her eyes and leaned back.

She was home.

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><p><strong>ONE YEAR AGO<strong>

Charlie Swan sat at his desk and stared curiously at the files before him. His mustache twitched as he furrowed his brow as Carlisle shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The vinyl cover squeaked as an antique clock ticked away behind him. The room smelled strongly of lemon pledge and cigar smoke. Carlisle was pretty sure this man smoked in his office, even though smoking inside had been outlawed years ago. He glanced down at his hands and inwardly chastised himself for even thinking of such a thing. Like that mattered.

"Was there ever any contact?" Charlie asked, raising his gaze to the blonde man before him. Carlisle cleared his throat, which suddenly felt very dry. He tugged at his collar.

"No. She disappeared without a trace. I have left her room exactly the way it was, incase the police missed anything." Charlie hummed and closed the folder.

"Mr. Cullen-"

"Carlisle. Please, call me Carlisle." Charlie cocked an eyebrow at him and leaned back in his chair.

"Mr. Cullen, I understand that you are desperate. I can't even imagine what this must feel like. even after all this time. However, from what I'm seeing here, and what you've told me, it sounds like the case has gone cold."

It was true. The cops never found any hint of foul play. Her room looked like a girl had just woken up there that morning. Bedsheets rumpled, closet door slightly ajar. Her handbag missing, along with her sketchbook. But these were all supposedly normal.

When Carlisle Cullen woke up on that sunny Saturday morning and found his daughter missing from her room, he hadn't even bothered to call the police until later in the day. She was an eighteen year old girl, fresh out of highschool. She had The Art Institute of Chicago to look forward to, and a whole summer to still be young. She got along with her family just fine, and did what normal teenage girls did. Loiter in parks with her friends, go to the movies, spend money on clothing and magazines. Alice was a normal kid. So when she wasn't home that morning, he easily had assumed she had slept over her friend Angela Weber's house, and forgotten to call. That's happened before. Or she sometimes woke up early to draw in the barn on some cooler mornings. She said the hay was comfortable and horses good company.

It didn't even occur to him to worry until his wife mentioned that she never came home until the following Monday.

Carlisle in a panic called the police. He started a neighborhood search team. He kept his wife busy with errands, knowing her tendency to get overwhelmed to the point of becoming catatonic. He made her in charge of getting supplies and food to the volunteers. He desperately called and called his son, Emmett, who was in college at Brown University. It took him a couple tries for Emmett to pick up.

"Yo!" Emmett had answered. Carlisle could hear noises of college life in the background as he nursed the scotch in his hand. Sounds of happiness. Laughter and music. Beer cans popping open. A girl's hyena like laughter. A violin.

"Is Alice there?!" He cried, his eyes closed. _Please. Please. Please. Maybe she just wanted to see her big brother on his college campus. Maybe she just wanted to be an adult. Yes. That must be it. She must be safe. She's probably with Emmett, drinking beer underage and flirting with boys too old for her. But it's okay. She's with Emmett. He'll keep an eye on her._

But when Emmett responded, Carlisle felt like he had been punched in the gut.

"Dad?…..Dad? What's wrong?! Guys, shut the fuck up for a second. _(the background noise subsides) _Did you just ask me if Alice was HERE? Why would she be here? Dad? DAD?!"

Carlisle fell to his knees in his office and dry heaved. He could still hear Emmett screaming from his phone by his side.

"DAD!"

"Mr. Cullen? Mr. Cullen?" Charlie's voice snapped him back to the present.

"I know it's been eight years. But I swear, I'm not crazy. She's not dead. I don't believe it. She can't be. She must have run away, for some reason or another. Something happened that made her want to leave and never come back. Please. Find her. Find her. Whatever it may be, I need to know. I need to know what happened. Please. I will pay anything. Please. Alice Cullen. She'll be 26 now. Please. Find her. Please. Please."

Carlisle knew he was rambling but he didn't care. Desperate men didn't care. He was tired of not having answers. He was tired of being cautious around everyone. He was tired of his wife, pale and staring. She was the worst of all. She couldn't, or she wouldn't forgive him. And even though her grief had taken it's own form, Carlisle still felt as though this his punishment. He would have nightmares about her unblinking eyes for years to come. Her words screaming in his head. Her hands clawing at his chest. Her face buried in his knees as she sobbed from the floor. Alice. Alice. My baby.

He pushed her photograph across Charlie's desk as far as he could, and their eyes locked. Charlie curtly nodded and said only, "I'll be in touch with whatever we can find." and Carlisle's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to us. Please. Do whatever it takes necessary. I will provide every penny. Please send us your best. "

Charlie grunted, and Carlisle took that as a cue to leave. He left the folder behind, with Alice 's photo set on top.

Charlie sighed as he looked down. A beautiful girl with long black hair smiled up at him. She was with a friend in the photo, but only the arm around her shoulder was visible. She looked up at Charlie with big blue eyes that crinkled in the corners. Her right hand holding the hand of the invisible figure, obviously male. A blurry tattoo could be seen on the wrist. Her hair was pushed back with a tortoise shell headband, and she was in a white tshirt and jeans. She looked like youth. Happy youth.

He fingered the corner of the photo and frowned. "What could have happened to you?" he murmured.

* * *

><p>WRAH<p>

WRAH

WRAH

Bella groaned as her palm slammed down on her alarm clock for the fifth time. Her head was pounding from the night before, and she realized as she rolled over that she wasn't alone.

She squinted one eye open to see a pale shoulder peeking out from her sheets and a mop of blonde and red hair. She closed her eyes again and slumped back into her pillow. _Last night…Oh shit right, Lone Wolf. A blonde girl with red streaks smiling at me from the bar. Said her name was Jane. Shots. Jane's mouth on my mouth. More shots. Jane's hand in my jeans while I was up against the wall. The subway rumbling by as we moaned into each others mouths. Jane's eyes looking up at me from between my legs. Screaming in bed, our legs wrapped around each other. Jane's fingers making me moan. _

Bella leaned over and kissed Jane's neck, rousing her from her sleep. Jane whimpered and rolled over into her arms. Bella traced patterns into her collarbone, along a tattoo. It was an intricate design of waves and a squid with it's tentacles wrapped around a breast. Bella stared at it curiously.

"Morning." Jane mumbled, kissing her back.

"Mmm, yes it is." Bella said into her mouth, her hand tweaking her nipple.

"Stop it, you're gonna make me cum again for the fifth time." Jane whined, arching into her. Bella smirked and moved her lips around her nipple, and her hand down to Jane's center.

"Yes." Jane grabbed her hair and opened her legs, welcoming her in. "Good girl."

Bella's fingers quickly went to work.

One hour and four orgasms later, Bella threw on a baggy torn shirt up over her head. _YOU GET ME CLOSER TO GOD_ the letters on it screamed_. _Jane was in the bathroom, cleaning up whatever mess from last night was left over. Bella put Jane's clothes and heels in a pile by the bathroom door and made her way into the kitchen to make some coffee.

Her kitchen as usual, was poorly stocked. But she found a filter (hopefully clean) in a cabinet, and the last of her coffee grounds. _Need to buy groceries. _She thought, shoving an empty pizza box down next to her trash bin. She set two mugs on the sticky counter, and grabbed her cigarettes after hopping up to sit next to the ashtray. Her thighs stuck to the marble as she shifted into a comfortable position. _This place is such a shithole, I should probably take better care of it. _

Jane emerged from the bedroom fully dressed a few minutes later. She had her hair thrown back into a messy ponytail, and took a quick sip of her now lukewarm coffee. Her cup clattered noisily back onto the table, and she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

"I gotta go." She said, kissing Bella goodbye. Bella pulled her in close as their tongues found each other. Jane whimpered again, and Bella grabbed her ass. "Stay for coffee." Bella murmured, kissing Jane's neck, causing all sorts of sounds to come out of her.

Bing!

Someone was pressing the bell on her door, causing it to make that mechanical dinging sound.

Bing!

There it went again.

Jane grinned and grabbed her purse from the counter.

"Saved by bell." She said, turned towards the door and began putting on her shoes.

"It's probably the super. Just ignore him. " Bella hopped down and wrapped her arms around Jane's waist, grabbing at her breasts. She remembered Jane wasn't wearing a bra the night before, and her fingers made quick work to tweak and stroke Jane's nipples, while her tongue found that spot on her neck, the one that everyone has, and she sucked hard and fast. Jane leaned back into her, her hips grinding, moaning quietly. Just as she was about to give in, a hard knock was at the door.

"B?!" A mans voice yelled from the hallway. "B. I know you're home. I don't give a shit you're with, just open the fuck up." He was kicking her door now.

"Aw shit.." Bella muttered, pulling away. "It's my fucking boss. You gotta go."

She turned to the door, "One second! Jesus Boss, I have neighbors!"

Jane spun around and stared at her. It was almost comical how swollen her lips were, with her flushed cheeks and her again, messy sex hair.

"You said you didn't have a job."

"Yeah, well I lied."

"What? Why would you lie about that?" Jane jutted her hip out, now defiant.

"Duuuuude. You gotta go." Bella said, impatiently waving to the door. "I don't have time for this shit."

She turned away from her, walking to the bedroom. "I gotta put on some fucking pants, and you gotta fucking go. I'll call you."

"This is fucked up. You owe me an explanation." Jane snapped, turned to leave. Bella snorted at her from her bedroom. She grabbed the first pair of jeans on the floor and threw them on.

_I don't owe you shit, slut._ She rolled her eyes and walked back into the living room, as Jane made some noncommittal noise to Charlie in the hallway. He walked in and quietly closed the door behind him, raising an eyebrow at Bella. She snorted and shrugged, _just some girl I slept with for the night, no one important. _Charlie set his coat and bag down on the couch, and pulled out a to go bag from one of her favorite deli's.

"Hey Kiddo." He made his way into her kitchen before she responded, "I brought coffee."

"Sweet." Bella followed suit and made her way back to her spot on the counter.

"And bagels. Come down and eat at the table. I have an assignment for you, and it's a big one."

**So there it is. The beginning of all of this. Hope you enjoyed it, and Chapter two should be up soon. I'll try to figure out a good day for updates and get on that schedule ASAP. Again, I am new to all of this. But I want to be as good to any readers I have! xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Hello hello! Oh my goodness. Guys, thank you for the reviews. I had like crazy anxiety after I posted the first chapter about this. I debating taking it down, and all this other shit. Just totally freaked out. Then I opened my email at work and was overwhelmed. Thanks so much.**

**I just wanted to clear a couple things up before proceeding.**

**1. This is not a crossover fic! I know it sounds like it, because I love GWTDT, but that shit is so beyond dark, and even though this story is dark, it will not be THAT dark. I AM heavily inspired by that series though. Also Twin Peaks (omg), and True Detective (OMG!), and The Killing (omgaaah). I'm a sucker for that shit. So although the inspiration is heavy, these characters will have their own individual quirks and characteristics. It's just a slow build!  
>2. Bella likes both girls and boys, yes. If this is a problem, I highly suggest you move on. Let's all be adults here. This is a fiction story, and I'm just playing with characters! There are plenty of non-bi Bella's in the fic universe, I assure you.<br>3. Edward will be coming soon, don't worry. Patience my dears.  
>4. Thank you for reviewing! I'm still getting used to this site, and also trying to be good about updating on the same day (Tuesdays!)<br>5. **There WILL be a HEA! I promise! But again, like I said before, it's gonna be one hell of a ride to get there. ****

**Please keep all flash photography until the end. Thank you, and enjoy the show.**

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Twilight. Don't ever want to. Just like to play.**

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><p>Ch. 2<p>

Bella sat down in her chair and began unwrapping her bagel as Charlie pushed a photograph across to her. He tapped the corner with his fingers to get her attention. Bella stared curiously down at it, crushing her cigarette into the ashtray.

"Alice Cullen. Daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Disappeared June 8th, 2006."

Bella ate as Charlie explained the circumstances around her disappearance. When he told her that all of this happened in a town called Forks, she choked on her food. Charlie frowned at her and fetched her a glass of water.

"Forks?" Bella sputtered, wiping her mouth with her hand. "Seriously? This sounds like something out of a children's book." She crumpled up what was left of her meal and tossed it in the trash. "You done?" She held her hand out for Charlie's wrapper.

"Thanks. I assure you, it's not. Alice has been missing for eight years. The cops have all but given up, and her father is extremely desperate - I mean, do you blame the guy? He wanted me to send my best, so I came here."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, old man." Bella smirked, popping a cigarette in her mouth. She leaned back onto her chair and lit it. Charlie grimaced and pushed the ashtray towards her and dusted crumbs off the table with the back of his hand.

"Your flight leaves in a few hours. I don't know how long you'll be there for. Could be a week. Could be a year."

"Noted." Bella took a drag and stared out her window. There was ivy growing on the brick wall across the way.

"You'll be given a car for the duration of your stay there. The Cullen's will provide that for you."

"How hospitable. Where am I staying?"

"There's a small inn in the heart of town. It should be there in the files. Mr. Cullen said you have a room already waiting for you."

"Okay." Inhale. Exhale. Bella put her cigarette out and abruptly stood up.

"If that's all, I'm gonna start getting ready. You can leave the files on the table and show yourself out whenever. Thanks boss." She left the kitchen and opened the hall closet.

Charlie sat in the kitchen and watched the smoke slowly spiral out of the crushed cigarette as Bella was shoving clothing into a black duffel. She packed up her laptop, two external hard-drives, extra cords, a point and shoot camera, a pack of yellow legal pads, and half a carton of cigarettes into a backpack. She popped back into the kitchen for a cigarette, which Charlie lit for her, and dashed into her room. He heard a safe open and the sounds of something being tossed into an envelope.

"Hey kiddo?" Charlie called.

"Yeah!?" She yelled back. She sounded like she was deep in her closet. Charlie heard the thunk of something falling and flinched when she cursed.

"Might wanna pack some heat, you never know."

Bella shuffled past him with her belongings and started putting her boots on at the front door.

"Thanks for breakfast, old man." She winked at him, throwing her leather jacket on over the baggy tshirt she slept in. Her hoodie was dangling from her partially open duffle. Charlie saw a Glock tucked into the back of her pants and sighed. _She never uses the holster I got her._

"Anytime, kid."

"Tell Renee I said hey too, will ya?" She asked, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Now that I'm doing all your dirty work, maybe you can actually spend some time with the missus."

Charlie's mustache twitched as his eyes crinkled. "I'll let Renee know you say hello. She'll be expecting you to have dinner with us when you're back, you know. You can't put it off forever."

"Yeah yeah. Fine. I'll bring the Cianti." Bella grumbled, grabbing her duffle. Charlie followed her out the door, closing it quietly behind him. As they walked down the stairs together, he handed her a giant manila envelope folded in half. Bella felt the weigh in her palm and knew immediately that it was cash. She quickly shoved it into her bag and zipped it shut.

"Listen, they're flying you out via private jet, so just get to LaGuardia and Carlisle should be there. He'll explain the rest. And if you ever have any problems or need to get out of there, do not hesitate to call me."

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><p>Carlisle was waiting for Bella at LaGuardia like she had been told. He greeted her quickly and got her onto the plane within minutes. <em>I could definitely get used to this….<em> She thought, as she peered around the spacious cabin. There were only eight seats. On one side there was a small table with four seats around it. On the other, what looked like half a bar and four more seats set in pairs. Bella set her duffel down on the table and sat down by a window. Carlisle sat across from her, after going to the bar. He set two glasses on filled halfway with scotch on the table.

Bella moved her duffle to the chair next to her, and sipped her glass quietly. While she was staring out the window, Carlisle peered at her. She was waif like. Her skin was pale, and her dark brown hair was held in a braid that rested on her shoulder. Her cheekbones were so sharp he found himself being concerned about her diet. She had a scar that ran from the back of her ear, down the nape of her neck, to under her shirt collar. He averted his eyes and waited for takeoff.

Ten minutes later, they were coasting in the air. Surprisingly, it was Bella who spoke first.

"Charlie says you have more to tell me." She glanced up at him, finishing her drink. Carlisle smiled sadly, and reached into his bag. He pulled out what looked like a worn composition notebook, along with a folder and held them out to her.

"Alice's journal." He said, as she grabbed them. "And some family photos."

"I see." She quickly flipped through the book, pausing at certain pages too get a closer look.

"Please make copies and give those back to us." Carlisle stated quietly.

"Will do." Bella said, slipping the photos into the journal. She put the notebook into her backpack and sat back in her seat. Her fingers drew small patterns into the velvet.

"You will be staying at The Lodge. Don't worry, the room is all covered, and any thing you need from them as well. The account is under my name."

"I take it that's the inn downtown."

"Yes. Rosalie Hale, the owner, can help you with anything you need. I have arranged a car for you as well….Miss..Uhh.." Carlisle suddenly looked embarrassed. _I thought I knew her last name…Should've double-checked the file Charlie gave me. _

"Bella is fine."

"Miss Bella-"

"Just Bella."

"Right. Well, Bella, there will be a car for you. As well as a town map, and whatever files I've gathered are already waiting in your room." He pulled at his collar, something about this girl made him nervous. Maybe it was because she looked so young and innocent, but seemed so cold. Carlisle couldn't put a finger on it. But Charlie vouched for her. Said she was his best investigator, and so Carlisle decided to believe him.

"Just so you know, we don't have much town…Compared to New York City, it's pretty much the country side."

"Doesn't matter." She glanced back at him. "Is that it?"

"Actually, one more thing. I know you would like to take a look at Alice's room, so tonight, if you don't mind, I've arranged for you to have dinner at my home with my wife. We can tell you more about Alice then." Bella seemed disinterested, but gave a slight nod.

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><p>Carlisle and Bella arrived in Forks at around 5 o'clock in the evening. They drove into town in his sleek black Mercedes, and he pointed out the inn and the diner attached to it. Bella saw there was a grocery store, local bank, pharmacy, bakery and library amongst other places as well. The highschool could be seen in a short distance, sitting on top of a hill along with the elementary school at the bottom. Carlisle nervously rambled on about the towns accomplishments, as well as local business owners she could talk to. Even though she took note of some of the names, she barely paid attention. She was just glad there was a 7-11.<p>

After they passed through downtown, and some place called Newton's Goods, Carlisle drove them to his estate. It was about ten minutes outside of town, and completely gated off. There were security cameras mounted at the gate, along with a passcode that Carlisle put in to open them. Bella stared through the windshield wipers as they pulled up a long driveway for another five minutes up to the front of his Victorian mansion.

It was all white.

And Bella hated it.

The front door opened before Bella had even stepped up to it, and a portly older woman emerged. She was in a sweater and jeans, and had her hair pulled back into a pun.

"Mr. Cullen! Welcome home." She greeted, running down to them with an umbrella.

"Thank you Shelby. This is Bella. Bella, this is Mrs. Cope." Bella gave her a nod and walked inside.

"It's absolutely dreadful outside, one of the worst we've had this year." Bella noticed that she was a bit like a bee. She bumbled around them to and fro, grabbing jackets and bags from their hands. "So glad you're home, you must be freezing. Come sit in the dining room. Dinner is ready and the missus is waiting."

"Thank you."

Carlisle smiled tightly, guiding Bella into a hallway. She saw pictures of Alice everywhere. They were sitting on shelves, mounted on walls, gazing at her from darkened rooms. They walked into a lavish dining room, with an equally lavish meal set on the table. A pale, redheaded woman sat primly at the head of the table. She didn't even blink in their direction. Bella felt like a ghost intruding on a family.

Carlisle, seemingly unabashed by his wife's lack of… well, anything, promptly went over to her and kissed her cheek.

"Honey, this is Bella. She's going to be helping us find Alice." he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. He turned to Bella and smiled apologetically.

"Bella, this is my wife. Esme. Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable."

Bella sat down and immediately reached for a dinner roll. She didn't realize how hungry she was until just then, and found herself loading up her plate with a bit of every dish. There was a roasted ham, summer salad, mashed potatoes, some kind of chicken dish, and an enormous bowl of pasta.

While they ate, Carlisle told his story of the morning of Alice's disappearance. He told her about the past, and every possible detail he could remember. At some point, Bella had retrieved her yellow legal pad from her backpack and had started taking notes.

"Alice was the artistic type. She loved to paint. Of course we saw her talent a young age and pushed her to pursue it. She wanted to become an interior designer, and spent countless hours pouring over books and magazines. There are stacks of sketchbooks in her room if you'd like to see them." Carlisle stopped to sip his wine. It was like he hadn't been able to talk about Alice to anyone in years. It was all coming out in one long ramble.

"Did Alice have any enemies? Any problems?" Bella asked quietly. Her dinner plate was cleared and now she was nursing a cup of coffee.

"Oh no, not at all. She did well in school. Was in cheerleading too. She was so busy, that one. Always so busy. She had plenty of friends around, whom you should all talk to, they've never left. But she had such big dreams. Ever since she was little, she wanted to see big cities. She wanted to tour the world, fall in love…." Carlisle trailed off, gazing at his wife. She had eaten a bit with some coaxing earlier, but still stared at the same point in the wall.

"She was close to my son, Emmett. They never fought severely like other siblings. They took care of each other. And Esme, well, she adored them. She doted over them, took them to every practice, after school session, friends house, figure drawing class, whatever it is the kids needed, she did for them. She lived for our children." He grasped his wife's hand. "I'll never ever be grateful enough for it."

"What are the names of her friends?"

"Hmm, let's see. There was…Angela Webber, she was her best friend…Jessica Stanley…She's still in town. Married and already with a baby on the way….Oh! And…. Jasper Hale." His face darkened at the last name.

"Was Jasper her boyfriend?" Bella inquired, noticing his change in demeanor.

"No. But they were close. Too close. I always told her to be careful. He was older. 21 at the time. That boy has been trouble since the day he was born. Caused his family so much grief. Lives out in the woods by himself now. Owns a fishing business. Sails a lot. His sister runs the inn in town. So I'm sure you'll see him around. He does maintenance for her sometimes. Has a tattoo that wraps around his entire right arm. Big guy, blonde hair, blue eyes. You can't miss him."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review! Starting the next chapter I'll hopefully have a BETA so if there are any errors, hopefully there will be less. <strong>

**I know it's a bit short, there's a lot of build up it seems in this story. Don't worry, you'll meet some new characters in Chapter 3. I've already written a good chunk of it. **

**See you next week! xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Hello hello! Thanks so much again for all your reviews. It really means a lot to me that people are even bothering with my story.  
>I actually wrote out the ending, but my comp crashed and I lost all of it. But it's okay! I have it locked away in my mind palace, so no worries there.<strong>

**JUST A NOTICE - I wanted to put a preemptive warning up about the next update. This week is proving to be really crazy already, and just today I received some bad news from my parents (our dog is very sick, she's also like 14), and so I might have to skip next weeks update. So sorry in advance. But I promise the one after that - if I end up skipping the update - will have TWICE as much! I've already written a good portion of Chapter 4, so it'll be 4+5. So sorry everyone!**

**And now, on with the show.**

**I don't own Twilight. Nor do I want to. I just like to be a puppet master. **

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><p>Chapter 3.<p>

Rosalie Hale was bored.

Mr. Cullen had called earlier in the week, inquiring about a room for someone under his name. He had said he wanted it booked indefinitely, and Rosalie, ever the professional, took his reservation without question. But she _was _curious.

The clock was ticking quietly behind her, reminding her that Mr. Cullen and his guest were incredibly late. For some reason, the beginning of summer was always a bit slow at the Inn. It wasn't until mid-July that business really picked up.

Rosalie sighed and stretched her arms out in front of her. She admired her recent bright red manicure, and let her mind wander to the beautiful man she had recently met.

_Rosalie was out at the local dive with her friend Lauren having a few drinks to blow off steam from the week. The bar was empty for a Friday night. Some boys home from college were playing pool in the corner, the balls clacking to the classic rock that blared from the old school jukebox by the bar. Old neon beer signs hung in the door, and the air smelled of stale food and cigarettes. Rosalie took a sip of her watered down Cosmo, and munched on the complimentary nuts at the table. Suddenly Lauren stopped talking and was gaping at the door. Even the noise of the bar seemed to have dimmed slightly. Annoyed, Rosalie turned to see what the big deal was. _

_The bronze haired man was clearly from out of town, which anyone in Forks could tell. He stood in the door, backlit from the fluorescents in the parking lot. His hair was going in every which way direction, which for some reason piqued her interest. When he walked to the bar, she saw women blatantly ogling him, and snorted to herself. _As if they'd have a chance. _She thought. Lauren was losing it because there was new "eye candy", and immediately wanted to go talk to him and Rosalie waved her along, knowing that she would have her moment with him later. Rosalie Hale never talked to men first. _

_He ordered his drink, leaning on one elbow to look around. He seemed to have a lot of questions for Jake, the resident barkeep, who barked out a laugh at his questions. _

_Rosalie smiled to herself as she thought of Forks' latest mysterious stranger. He hadn't noticed her at first, but struck up an extensive conversation with her later after a couple of beers. He had asked for her number, which she knew would happen, and told her he was new in town. _

_"__Maybe you could show me around sometime?" He had asked while giving her a smile so dazzling it made her knees weak. Rosalie kept it cool, locked her eyes with his piercing green ones, and gave him a wink._

_"__I'd love to."_

_After they exchanged numbers and he gave her a lingering handshake, she made sure to tell him to swing by The Lodge Diner on Mondays. She liked to have breakfast there to start her week, and he agreed. _

Rosalie smirked as she checked the clock for the upteenth time. It was nearing midnight, and she figured her new guest would not be arriving until the morning. She was sure Mr. Cullen knew her hours, and began to close up shop for the night.

She swept the lobby, locked the front doors, and switched off the neon sign outside that read "OPEN!". She left the lobby of the inn through a side door, and immediately turned right to climb a staircase. Her apartment was the only space at the inn facing the back. It was small, but had everything she needed. Two rooms, a kitchen, and a small deck sheltering her entrance for rainy days. She quickly showered and went to bed. It was late, and tomorrow she had a breakfast date.

* * *

><p>Bella didn't like this house. It was too quiet.<p>

The halls were spacious with marble floors, and various paintings and photographs stared down from behind sculptures, as she passed them quietly in the dark. Carlisle had shown her where she would be staying for the night - a guest room at the back of the house - and she had spent five minutes pacing in her room before she knew she wouldn't be sleeping. She grabbed her camera and quietly closed the doors behind her as she explored the halls.

Ten minutes later, she found herself peering into a darkened room on the other end of the house. The door had been locked, but Carlisle did say that she had the house at her disposal…So she picked it. It sprang open noisily, creaking until the knob bounced against the wall.

After standing still to hear if anyone was awake for a couple of seconds, she turned on her flashlight and looked around. The room was filled with furniture covered in sheets and dust. There was an easel standing in the corner with half a painting on it, with a mess of oil paints piled next to it on a small desk. Brushes sat stiff in a jar, long unused. They cast long shadows along the wall like fingers pointing to the wall next to her. She reached out and flipped on the light in the room and stifled a gasp.

The walls were covered in paintings of various sizes. There were pages of drawings thrown all over the floor from an upturned desk in the corner. She quietly crept into the room, looking at the images on the wall. One was of a barn. Another of horses running through fields. Another of a sunset. A group of girls laughing. A simple portrait of a Esme standing in some tall reeds. Bella ran her fingers over the dusty ridges of dried paint, amazed at the work before her. They were photorealistic to the very last detail.

Bella began snapping pictures of everything she could see. She crouched down to a painting and took one of a detail of someone's eyelashes.

In one corner, there was a pile of canvases stacked against the wall. She began to go through them, pulling each one towards her and setting them along the wall. At first the paintings seemed abstract. There were six in the pile that seemed to be of tall grass and flowers. The more she pulled from the pile and lined up against the wall, the more she felt a prickling at the nape of her neck. Something in her gut told her to back away and look at the paintings after she had laid them all out, and when she did she knew why. The blades of grass had started to merge along the borders of the paintings, and she was suddenly looking at one large image of a beautiful meadow. Wildflowers met in the ridges and continued into an open space in the middle, where a portrait of a girl was painted. It was Alice.

Something in her gut told her to back away and look at the paintings after she had laid them all out, and when she did she knew why. The blades of grass had started to merge along the borders of the paintings, and she was suddenly looking at one large image of a beautiful meadow. Wildflowers met in the ridges and continued into an open space in the middle, where a girl was standing. It was Alice.

Alice's hand was reaching out as though she was beckoning the viewer. On her extended wrist Bella saw a bracelet and snapped a photo of it, and in the other hand was a dagger. On the ground around Alice's bare feet were white petals from the buds of flowers. She was wearing a nightgown that was ripped to her thighs, and her eyes said two words very clearly.

_Help me._

Bella quickly snapped photos of every canvas individually - there were nine in total - and every detail she could find. Alice's painting of herself was so realistic, Bella felt like her eyes were on her every time she moved. She felt a chill crawling up her spine as she stepped back and took a photo of all the canvases together as one piece.

_I need to find this place. Is this where you were taken?_

Feeling suddenly energized with her discovery, she quickly placed the paintings back where she found them and made her way out of the room.

By the time Bella made it back to the guest room, she could see the sun starting to light the horizon. She grabbed her pack of cigarettes and headed for the deck outside the french doors to a balcony. She had pulled so many all nighters, what was the harm of another one?

When she leaned over the bannister to take a look at the grounds outside the mansion, she was amazed at the space below her. She saw the barn Carlisle had spoken of off in the distance, along with a very intricate garden with paths woven into beautiful rose bushes and surrounding a fountain in the center. It reminded her of books she read in high school about gloomy moors and royal gardens.

Bella smoked her cigarette quietly and stared out in the landscape. Tall woods surrounded the property, but she was high enough that she could see almost all of it. It was then she noticed movement in the blue light of dawn.

Esme was walking down the path in her nightgown. She was barefoot and slow - like she was sleepwalking - as she made her way down the path around the main fountain in the center of the garden. By the time she had walked around enough to face the house, Bella was on her third cigarette and stood as still as a statue. She didn't know if Esme even knew she was there, but something about seeing her out here made her uneasy. It was because Esme's eyes were open, and as hollow and empty as before. But her lips were moving, and Bella could've sworn she was calling for Alice.

* * *

><p>By the time Bella had her things by the front door, the cab was rolling up the driveway. She didn't want to wake Carlisle so early, so she left a note thanking him for his hospitality and grabbed the rest of her things from Mrs Cope, who smiled in understanding. Apparently this happened often with most of their guests, and she happily called a car service, and said she'd have the rest of the files and whatever paperwork sent over to her room at the Inn. Bella thanked her and made her way out.<p>

When she arrived at the Lodge, she saw that a bright CLOSED sign hung in the door. Their hours read 10AM-Midnight, which annoyed her. _I thought inns were a 24 hour thing? Fucking small towns. _

The sun was high up in the sky at this point, so Bella figured she'd go to the diner - sitting conveniently across the parking lot - to grab some breakfast. The lack of sleep was starting to weigh on her, and suddenly she really wanted a good cup of coffee. Which she had a feeling would be hard to find here, but the sweat forming on her brow and the dryness in her throat drove her into the building faster than she thought it would.

She made her way into the diner with all of her things and sat down at the bar. She was the only one there. Music played softly in the background from a radio behind the counter which wrapped around the entire side of the diner. Empty worn out booths greeted her from each wall, and a girl sat in the corner filling up salt shakers.

When she saw Bella sit she slowly made her way over. Her curly hair was pushed back with a headband, and she was in a button down shirt with a white apron tied around her swollen belly. Her name tag read Jessica.

"Morning hon, want some coffee?" she drawled, stifling a yawn. Bella nodded, looking down at her menu.

"I'll take a slice of pie too." She said, sliding the menu back across the counter. Jessica grabbed it and handed her a cup on a platter. Coffee sloshed over the side and onto the plate.

"Comin' right up. You want apple or peach?" She asked, opening a case behind the counter.

"Apple."

"Ice cream? No ice cream?" Bella sipped her coffee, which wasn't half bad.

"No thanks."

"Here ya go, doll." Jessica plunked the plate down on the counter and waddled into the kitchen. Bella could hear her greeting someone and the noise of the kitchen. She ate her breakfast - also not half bad - and began reading Alice Cullen's journal.

* * *

><p>Rosalie awoke feeling rested and excited. After her morning shower, she threw on her favorite pair of red shorts and a lightly polka dotted button down shirt with a grey cardigan over it. She wanted to look like she made an effort, but not <em>that much<em> of an effort. _Gotta make him work for it,_ she thought, winking into the mirror. She quickly put her blonde locks in a ponytail and slipped on some flats and made her way across the parking lot to the diner.

After greeting Jessica while walking through the kitchen, and Paul the cook, she found herself sitting at her usual table in the corner. She quietly sipped her cup of coffee and waited for her new friend to come meet her.

* * *

><p>Bella finished eating and paid the bill, leaving a decent tip. She headed back out into the heat and lit a cigarette, holding it between her teeth as she headed back to the entrance of the Inn and waited for 10AM to roll around. She didn't notice the blonde shooting her a dirty look when she walked by her diner window, nor the lone silver Volvo in parked with Chicago plates. She just wanted to get some rest.<p>

* * *

><p>Rosalie quickly checked her cosmetics mirror to see if her makeup needed any touching up. Her friend had arrived and was making his way up to the entrance of the diner now. She had told Jessica about him already and was excited to see if she could take things further. He was gorgeous and from a big city. He was exciting and a bit older, and she loved both of those things. She lived for it, but usually found that meant random outdoor hookups and dating men with more than one child.<p>

When he came into the diner and saw her, she kept her composure but couldn't help feeling her heart race. _Keep it together, Rose. Be cool. _She thought, giving him a smoldering look as he slid in across from her.

"Morning." He said, sliding into the booth. His hair was all over the place and she wanted to run her fingers through it.

"Morning Edward." She said back. It was then she noticed he had a large leather book with him, and a tape recorder. Both were sitting on a wornout brown folder in front of him.

"On the job today?" She asked. He chuckled, taking a sip out of her coffee. He waved down Jessica for another cup.

"I'm always on the job, Rosalie."

"Let's hope so." She said back, leaning forward. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that you do?"

"I'm a journalist. You know how I told you I was visiting town from Chicago? It's for a piece I'm writing."

"That's so exciting…." Rosalie said, placing her hand on the table. He didn't notice. His green eyes were focused on something in the parking lot. Rosalie chose to ignore it whatever it was and twirled her finger around, making patterns on the table.

Jessica came over and plunked his coffee down on the table before waddling away. Edward took a long sip while still gazing out the window. Rosalie caught Jessica, who was holding up a thumbs up at her from the counter with a huge smile on her face. She grinned at her friend and looked back to Edward, who set his now half empty cup on the platter and shifted forward again. He set his elbows on the table.

"Actually…I have a couple of questions for you." He said, "Would you mind answering some of them?" He flipped open the leather book to a blank page somewhere in the center.

"Edward, I said I'd help you the night I met you."

"Yeah, but this is something I'm pretty sure most people don't want to talk about."

"Well, I'm not most people." He looked at her for a moment, and she rolled her eyes.

"Edward, I highly doubt whatever you're going to ask me will be all that bad. Unless it's about Alice Cullen. She's this girl who went missing a few years back? The whole town knows about it. People are constantly asking me about her, and it just gets so incredibly annoying." She smiled at him as though it was a joke and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Actually, I _am_ asking about Alice Cullen." He said, as Rosalie stared at him. _You have got to be kidding me. _His gaze no longer seemed warm, but somewhat predatory.

"I need you to tell me everything you know." He said, pushing down a button on the tape recorder.

* * *

><p>Bella stood up and stretched when she heard the jingle of the diner doors open. She had another cigarette in her mouth and she peeked one eye open to see a voluptuous blonde headed her way.<p>

She passed Bella without a word and unlocked the door swiftly, slamming it shut behind her. Bells rattled against the glass pane in the door. Bella finished her cigarette and watched curtains being yanked open, and the neon sign outside switched on. It buzzed OPEN! OPEN! into the summer air, as Bella frowned up at it. She wiped the sweat off her brow and put her cigarette out. Slinging her jacket over her shoulder and grabbing her backpack and duffle, she made her way inside the lobby. Her feet were finally starting to ache from being in her boots so long, and she was feeling the effects of the last 48 hours. The summer heat was not helping.

The blonde was behind the desk now, angrily pushing buttons on an ancient looking AC unit. Bella paid no attention to her moods and told her that she had a room under the name Carlisle Cullen.

"You're Mr. Cullen's guest?" The girl spat at her. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?"

"I'm gonna need to see some ID, if you don't mind." Bella saw that her name tag read Rosalie.

"Excuse me?" Rosalie rolled her eyes. She spoke to Bella very slowly, as though she was talking to a child.

"I need your ID to make sure you're not like, I don't know, a con artist. I'll have to call and confirm." She flipped her hair over one shoulder and glared at her.

"Call him then." Bella shrugged. Rosalie's mouth dropped for a moment, and then she scowled. _Who the hell _**_is_**_ this girl? _She thought before punching the numbers on her phone.

After speaking with Carlisle and confirming that yes, this was his guest, Rosalie begrudgingly gave Bella her key and pointed her in the direction of her room. Mr. Cullen had stated repeatedly that Rosalie was to help her get settled, and to show her around town and Rosalie agreed that should would. However, when she mentioned this through gritted teeth, Bella just waved her off.

"I got it covered. Carlisle did mention something about a car though." She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand.

Rosalie scowled. She had forgotten about the truck that was parked around back. She tossed the keys to Bella and told her she'd leave the side door open for her for the next hour.

She scoffed as she watched Bella walk easily up the stairs with her luggage. The duffel bag was about as big as she was, and still she carried it like it weighed a feather. When she turned the corner, Rosalie saw the handle of a gun sticking out of the back of her jeans.

_Finally got sick of his crazy wife and moved onto someone younger and crazier. People will settle for so much less these days. Gotta tell Jasper to keep an eye on her. _Lauren is gonna flip._ _

**Hope you enjoyed it. I tried to give y'all a little bit more. I'm still trying to find a balance between timeline and detail - I don't want it to be too rushed but too slow y'know? It's definitely an art. **

**xoxo **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : Hello hello! I am so sorry for the lack of update last week, but thank you for being understanding! I didn't get any hate-mail because of it. Or maybe people just don't care haha. Either way, it's been a rough two weeks (our dog died:(), and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. **

**Maybe the break was needed. I ****needed to organize my thoughts anyway.**

**This is a double update! YAY TWO CHAPTERS. Hopefully y'all will enjoy 'em! Thanks so much again for the support. I'm really proud of myself for sticking to this even though my schedule is super insane and hectic right now. I'm still making time for it. I think that's important. **

**ANYWAY. Onwards and upwards. **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT, NOR DO I WANT TO. I JUST LIKE TO MAKE MY MONKEYS DANCE. DANCE MONKEYS DANCE.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 4.<p>

_"__We were in cheerleading together….Alice got along with everyone, but spent most of her time with Jasper or in the art room…She was gonna be a designer or something…."_ Rosalie's voice crackled from the tape recorder speaker with the sounds of diner behind her.

_"__When's the last time you saw her?"_

_"__It was at the school. (sips coffee) She was getting in her car to go home, and she offered me a ride but I said no. I wanted to walk home that day 'cause it was nice out. She drove off and I never saw her again."_

_"__Did she have any friends outside of school? Did she seem sad? Scared even? Was anything different?"_

_"__Not that I know of…She seemed totally fine. There was nothing wrong. She seemed happy even…..(shifts in seat) Have you had the pie here?"_

_"__Rosalie…"_

_"__Edward, I know you're working and you're new in town. Have a piece of pie, my treat." _

_"__I don't think that's the best idea. (rustle of papers) Is there anything else you can tell me about Alice?"_

_"__No, we weren't too close. My brother knew her really well though. They were secretly dating or thought they were being secretive about it. She was always at my house with him, or waiting around for him when he was at work. She spent some time with my dad too, but I think she was just bored. I dunno. Go talk to Jasper. He'll definitely be able to tell you more about her."_

_"__Anything I should know about Jasper?"_

_"__Just that since Alice disappeared, he's been hard to deal with. I don't see him much anymore. We don't get along. Never really did." _

The tape recorder stopped there.

Edward sighed and pulled the snapshot he had taken of Rosalie out of his notepad. He stuck a tack through it and pushed it onto the wall next to a picture of "Jasper Hale, Alice's closest friend / boyfriend". He cut a piece of painters tape between the two pictures and wrote "Siblings (Not close)" on it, stuck the pen in his mouth, and stood back to look at what he had so far.

In the center of his wall, he had a large photo of Alice. It was from the highschool year book, and he had found a full color version of it at the town library. Various strips of tape webbed out from her photo, to pictures of her parents, her brother, and her friends, to even acquaintances. He wanted every last detail to pull this story together, but he wanted to solve it too. He didn't know what was so intriguing about this girl, but something inside him wanted to help her.

He had spent most of the day getting to know the town. He wandered through establishments, feigning interest while scoping out people he wanted to speak with. When he went to the library, he made sure to tear the sensor off the back of the Forks High yearbook before leaving, and now it had a permanent home in his car. He had taped a list of people to the front cover that he wanted to speak with. Jasper Hale. Angela Webber. Mike Newton. Her parents. Her brother.

When he had met Rosalie at the local dive - The Res - he knew exactly what he had to do to get her to meet him. He knew that her brother was close to Alice, and from the photos he saw in the yearbook - and on various dating profiles - he knew Rosalie was the kind of girl who'd easily open up. Maybe he had overdone the charm, because she seemed to have a hard time focusing on the matter at hand, but he at least got an address out of her.

He sat back down at the lone round table and took a sip of his beer. Artifacts from around town scattered most of it. It was mostly business cards, napkins with addresses or phone numbers scribbled down, and a used phonebook he had taken from a phone booth in town with the broken cord still stuck to it. A ripped piece of paper from a placemat at the diner sat in front of him with directions to Jasper's house. He glanced at the oven clock and it read 2:31AM.

Tired and slightly buzzed from his beer, he made his way to bed. Tomorrow, he'd head out to the woods to meet Jasper. Edward wanted to get more details before meeting with Alice's parents.

* * *

><p>Bella dumped her duffle bag and backpack onto one of the chairs in her room. The walls were a forest green, and all the furniture was made of dark wood. There was a fireplace on the right side of the wall, facing a king sized bed with crisp white sheets. A fur throw rested at the edge.<p>

She quickly kicked off her boots and collapsed into bed. The past few days had been so exhausting that she was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

In her sleep, Bella dreamt that she was walking in the woods. Snow covered mostly everything but she was in just her usual t-shirt and jeans. The air was brisk but she didn't feel cold. And the sun was shining so brightly she had to squint to see the path ahead of her.

She climbed through some trees into an opening, realizing it was the meadow from the painting. Bella glanced around to see if she was alone and slowly stepped into the sunlight towards the center of the grassy patch. There was something lying in the middle.

The grass around the bloody dagger was matted down, as if someone had been lying there for a long time. Bella could clearly see drag marks from a small puddle of blood trailing into the woods. She started following them. The closer she got to leaving the meadow the quicker her pace became. By the time she was back in the woods, she was running and stumbling through the trees. She was gasping for breath, her eyes stuck to the continuous streaks of blood and dirt. She tripped over a root and found herself falling face first into a deep puddle. Right before she hit the ground she saw a brass latch.

And then she woke up.

Bella's eyes darted around the quiet room as she wiped the sweat off her brow. _What the fuck was that? _She thought, yanking her shirt off over her head. She kicked off her jeans and threw them across the room. _This fucking town is getting to me. I need a cigarette, Jesus. _

Bella grabbed her pack and lighter out of her jacket and sat in the windowsill, picking up a folded plastic card that stated that it was a non-smoking room. She opened the window and chucked the card out with one hand, lighting her cigarette with the other.

* * *

><p>Jessica had just pulled into her spot in the lot when she looked up and saw a window opening at the Inn. She sat for a moment, rubbing her belly when a folded piece of plastic bounded off her hood and hit the ground. She peered out her windshield and saw the girl from the diner sitting in her open window. She was smoking and wearing only her underwear. Jessica quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a photo. And then sent it to Rosalie.<p>

* * *

><p>Edward made it out to Jasper Hale's cabin around noon.<p>

It was nestled off a dirt road that he had to slowly navigate due to severe twists and turns. It seemed like the road was specifically created to throw off any unwanted visitors. Crooked signs marked some turns with warnings on them. _TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT, STAY OUT. _And so forth.

After driving for about twenty minutes, Edward pulled up to a single cabin sitting next to a small streaming river. It was entirely made of wood except for the stone chimney. A shotgun sat next to a rocking chair by the front door.

Edward got out of his car, tucking his notebook under his arm. He reached into the glove compartment and grabbed a small flashlight as well. He didn't know if anyone was home, and the windows were dark.

Leaves crunched under his shoes as he made his way up the small wooden stairs. A can of Lonestar beer sat on the ledge, and he pushed it with his finger to see if it was full. It toppled off onto the ground, clattering loudly. Flinching at the noise it made, Edward turned back to the screen door. He raised his fist to knock but then noticed something that made his skin crawl.

Staring at him from the darkness was a set of angry blue eyes.

He heard the click of a gun being cocked. Edward raised his hands up by his shoulders, his notebook and flashlight fell to the floor.

"What do you want?" a voice asked from behind the screen door.

"My name is Edward Cullen. I'm here to talk to Jasper Hale?" Edward stammered, slowly taking a step back. His eyes darted down to the shotgun by the door.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you. It ain't loaded anyway." the voice said again. Edward noticed that he had a southern drawl.

"Are you….Are you Mr. Hale?" Edward asked, his eyes glancing back and forth from the door to the gun. The screen door swung open when he got back far enough.

"Yeah, I am. Rosie send you? You a cop?" Jasper stepped out from the door, trailing clouds of dust out with him. His blonde hair hung messily around his face, grazing the flannel he was wearing. His eyes were hard and cold, and he moved almost like a panther. Lethal and steady. His footsteps were so controlled that it reminded Edward of the soldiers he had interviewed after the returned from Afghanistan. He wondered if this man was a veteran. But he seemed a bit young.

Edward walked backwards down the stairs and to his car. Jasper kicked the notebook and flashlight aside with his foot and followed him.

"No I'm not a cop. I'm a journalist."

"Didn't think so. You don't look like a cop. A journalist? For what? You here askin' about my Alice?"

"I am. I want to find out what happened to her."

"Got taken away from me." Jasper snarled, taking quick steps forward. Edward's back was against his car now, and Jasper walked in closer to him until his pistol nudged his chest.

"Mr. Hale, I really didn't mean any harm..I-I-I just wanted to ask some questions about Alice…Rosalie told me that you and her were close…And I'm working on a piece about missing youth.." Jasper searched his face for a while. His cold blue eyes gazed down Edward's body to his feet and back up.

"You packin'?" Edward quickly shook his head.

"No. I don't believe in guns." Jasper scoffed and uncocked his gun. He clicked the safety on and stuck it back into the front of his jeans. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and looked into Edward's car.

"You don't believe in guns…but you wanted to use my own on me."

"That would've been self defense. Rosalie didn't give me much warning."

"Eh…Rosie. She don't come out here much. Doesn't like to talk to family unless she wants me to fix somethin' at her inn. What're you doing with her old yearbook?"

"It's not hers. I stole it from the library." Jasper coughed back a laugh.

"She tell you anythin'?"

"No, Mr. Hale. She just told me to come talk to you." Edward wiped the sweat from his neck.

"Well…You came all the way out here, might as well answer a few questions. Don't know what help I'll be. Police didn't think much of me. C'mon, come inside. It's a little cooler…Oh, and it's Jasper, by the way. I'm pretty sure you're older than me, and Mr. Hale was my father."

Jasper lead them into the cabin and reached over to flick on a small lamp. Edward grabbed his things from the porch floor and followed him inside. The wood creaked under Edwards boots as he kicked up dust around him. It made swirls in the streaks of sunlight from the windows. Edward stared at the deer head mounted over the fireplace and watched Jasper put his gun down on a small counter in the corner, next to a small stove and a very old refrigerator. He grabbed two cans out of it and tossed one to Edward. Edward sat down at the edge of a scratchy couch and watched Jasper settle into a worn armchair across from him.

"So…" Jasper popped his can open and took a sip. Edward opened his notebook in his lap and pulled out his tape recorder from his pocket. He held it up for Jasper to see and clicked it on.

"How long were you with Alice?"

"4 years, give or take."

"And did she ever seem unhappy to you?"

"Well….her home life was never that great. Mom and Dad were too busy living the good life to spend any time with her. She never wanted for anything though. And was close with her brother-"

"Emmett, right?"

"Yeah, but after he left for college she was real lonely. You could tell. Started spending more time with me. More than usual. It was hard for me to have any time for myself."

"Sounds pretty annoying."

"She was a kid. She was turning 18. Goin' to school. Daddy was workin' all the time. Alice had free reign pretty much since she was a kid. Raised by a nanny. You know the type."

"I do. Did you have plans to stay together when she went away?"

"Yeah man. She was my whole life." Jasper paused to sip his beer, "I loved her and I wanted to be with her until the end of our days. I would've gone to Chicago with her in a heartbeat."

"Can you think of any time she said anything strange or out of the ordinary?"

"Nah…Alice always said strange things…It's how she worked. You should've seen her man. She moved like a dancer even when she was walking, or even when she tripped or somethin'. She always handled herself with so much grace…" Jasper trailed off, taking a long swig of his beer. Edward took a tentative sip of his and almost gagged. It tasted like a college frat party, only watered down. He forced it down as his eyes wandered around the room. There was a small table in the kitchen area with a pile of antlers sitting on top and some tools scattered nearby. The walls were wood, but along the wall by the couch there was a beautiful painting of boats on a frozen lake.

"Where did you get that painting?" Edward asked, curiously staring at the AC written in the bottom corner.

"She painted that for me. For us." Jasper answered, his throat scratchy. Edward saw his eyes had unshed tears in them. "I was gonna marry her. We were gonna travel together when she was done with school."

"I need to know what you think happened to her." Edward said, leaning closer to Jasper. He watched as Jasper shoved his flannel sleeves up and saw a tattoo wrapping around his right arm.

"All I know is, that I was saving up to build this cabin for us. It was supposed to be two floors. So… I got a job and was workin' most days. She started spending more time at my house which was fine, I liked that she was close with my family. When I finished the foundation of this place, I kept workin' cuz I wanted to buy a ring too. My father wasn't a huge fan of me getting married without a college degree or even a real career. And Rosalie just did not care. But I wanted Alice to be with me forever. I wanted us to live here one day and have a family." Edward waited silently for him to continue.

"She was gonna meet me out here that day….was gonna propose to her." He pulled out the necklace from around his neck, showing Edward the small ring that hung from it.

"She never did. I waited, y'know? Thought she might have gotten held up at school or somethin'. She wanted to get all her things out for the summer, so I knew she stayed late sometimes cleaning out her locker and saying goodbye…." Jasper pressed the tips of his fingers into his eyes, but a lone tear ran down his cheek.

"By the time the search team was put together, I moved all my things into the cabin. I've been here ever since, waiting for her to come back."

* * *

><p><strong>I'd say click that review button but THERE'S TWO CHAPTERS THIS TIME ! xoxo<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Here you go!**

**I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT NOR DO I EVER WANT TO.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5.<p>

_December 24th, 2005. 1:30am._

_Mom made us eat Christmas dinner early today. Her and Dad have some event-gala thing tomorrow, and she wanted to celebrate at least a little this year. Funny, she never let's us decorate the tree anymore. We don't even use our decorations. It's so fake, I hate it. I wish I could go to Jasper's. Bet Rosalie would LOVE that. _

_Dad said that my present was out in the driveway, so I already know what I got. What else could it be? _

_I'm so excited. I can't wait to drive to school, or to go visit Jasper. I gotta think of some excuse to go see him out there. Mom still doesn't like him. I don't think Dad does either. They can barely tolerate Rosalie. _

_Just talked to Emmett, he said he'd help figure something out. He got me a stereo for my car, which is so cool. He said he installed it himself!_

_He got me new paints too. Hah! So original. I love them anyway._

* * *

><p><em>January 2nd, 2006. 3AM or something. I have no idea. <em>

_I don't know where I am. Somewhere in Forks, I think. Not that mom and dad will care. They're in Maui. Who CARES. I'm druuuuuuuunk!_

_Jasper and I made out under the stars for hours. We ditched his sisters New Years party before it turned midnight. He snagged a few bottles of champagne and some vodka. I can't wait to give myself to him. He's my entire world. Best three and a half years of my life._

_He's so romantic._

_He brought me to this place in the woods. I was so scared at first, I thought he was gonna kill me! Hahahahaahhaha. He would never hurt me. My wonderful Jasper planned a special night for us. Champagne and candles and strawberries and a small fire to keep us warm….I love him I love him I love him I love him so much. He said I was the only person he wanted to be with when the years change. "Only you, Alice Mary Cullen. I want to spend all of them with you."_

_We're in his station wagon now. He has a mattress back here and so many blankets. We cuddled and drank and kissed and he touched me everywhere. He touched me so much I saw stars._

_Happy New Year._

* * *

><p>Alice's journal sat on the small table in Bella's hotel room as she quickly made work of setting up her laptop. A brand new printer was sent to the Inn the previous day - courtesy of Charlie - and was currently spewing out picture after picture of the people of Forks.<p>

After setting up her harddrive as well, Bella grabbed her backpack - now empty - to get food in town. She didn't want to eat at the diner all the time, and conveniently had a microwave in her room. So she made a quick trip to 7-11 and loaded up on all the frozen pizza she could find, and a case of Coke.

After dropping off her goods at the Inn, she grabbed a couple of things from her duffel. She slipped a small steel case into her pocket, and something that looked like a router into her backpack and headed back out into the rain.

The Forks Police department was disappointing. It was a squat little building, sitting at the end of a small parking lot, illuminated by one lone sad streetlight. Two police cars sat next to the front entrance. It all looked so quaint, minus the shining silver Volvo parked in the corner space. She smoked as she watched the rain pelt down onto the hood of the car, pulling her hood up over her head.

While smoking, Bella pulled the silver case out from her pocket and opened it. Inside sat five little magnetized steel pieces. They were shaped like coins but completely smooth. She flipped one over and pressed a button and saw a small blinking red light which faded almost instantly. It was a voice activated transmitter. Magnetic, slim, and inconspicuous. If placed correctly it was basically invisible. She placed it into her hoodie pocket and headed inside.

"Hello, are you Miss Swan?" a man asked her the second she walked in. _Small towns are so weird…_She thought, shifting her backpack to her left arm. She nodded.

"Hi, I'm Chief of Police Ben Cheney." They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." she said, pulling her hood down. He smiled at her and gestured for her to walk past the glass doors.

"Thought you'd be coming by sooner, but I know how things go. Everything you need has been packed up." Bella nodded while she gazed around the bullpen of the quiet police station. Not much was going on. Two rookie cops were hanging out by a desk sipping coffee. They stared at her as she passed. A couple of other people were milling about but no one really paid her any mind.

Chief Cheney brought her into his office and pointed to two cardboard boxes sitting on top of a tall filing cabinet. One that read FPD EVIDENCE : ALICE CULLEN and the other just said A.C. PAPERWORK.

"That should be everything." He said, grabbing a chair from the hall to get them. Some files were peeking out of the top of one of the boxes and he shoved them back in before squishing the lid on. He cursed as the evidence box fell out of his grasp and fell to the floor, causing the contents to spill out everywhere. Bella took that moment to quickly stick the bug onto the bottom of the ledge on his desk, before dropping to a squat to help pick things up.

"Doesn't seem like much." She noted, easily taking the boxes from him.

"This is all we got." He guided her out of his office and back to the entrance.

"If you need anything, anything at all, please feel free to call." he said tipping his hat. Bella didn't like him. That was too easy. He was too eager. She didn't like how he slipped her business card into her pocket. Or how his hand lingered on her lower back. She quickly jumped back into her truck, threw the boxes in the passenger seat, and left.

* * *

><p>Ben Cheney watched the girl's truck leave the lot and frowned the moment her backlights disappeared. His cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. He quickly walked back inside the station and made a beeline for his office, and quietly closed the door behind him, locking it. He placed the phone between his shoulder and ear and quickly dialed a number by heart. While the dial tone rang, he turned to face the filing cabinet in the corner. From outside his office, he just looked like he was making another call.<p>

"Yes?" A voice answered.

"It's done." He stated, his voice empty and cold.

"You burned the other evidence?"

"I said it's done. When can I see my wife?"

"She'll be back at home by tonight. Thank you for your help, Chief." They hung up.

Ben Cheney sat down and placed the phone back into the receiver. He stared out the glass walls of his office for a long time, eventually pouring himself a small cup of bourbon that he kept hidden in his desk drawer. He was completely unaware of the the silver tab relaying everything back to Bella's laptop.

* * *

><p>Bella made dinner quickly and sat down to see if anything good came off the recording from Chief Cheney's office. When she heard the phone conversation she stared at the picture of him on her wall<em> Ben Cheney…what kind of trouble are you in? <em>She made a mental note to bug his house as well.

She was halfway through her pizza when there was a knock at her door. She quietly got up and peered through the peephole and saw a scraggly looking blonde man standing at her door. She found he reminded her of the girl from the front desk. _This must be Jasper. _

"MAINTENANCE." he said, looking down the hallway. Bella saw him scowling at someone and went to open the door.

"Yeah?" she asked, the door caught on the chain and she peered out at him.

"Evening ma'am. I'm here to check your smoke detectors." his blue eyes darted to her brown ones, then back down the hall again. Bella undid the latch and opened the door all the way. He saw she was just in a t-shirt.

"There are no smoke detectors." She pointed to the ceiling.

"That's why I'm installing one." He shot back, holding one up in brand new packaging. Bella stepped aside and let him in. She apparently had absolutely no problem with being half naked in front of strangers, because she went right back to what she was doing - eating and working.

"I'm Jasper, the handyman." He said, dropping his toolbox down to the floor. He went back into the hallway and brought in a ladder.

"Bella." Bella said, with her mouth full of pizza. She went back to typing on her laptop when Jasper noticed the pictures on her wall.

"You here with that other journalist?" he asked, climbing the ladder.

"Hmm?" she was still typing. Jasper saw that she was wearing black boy shorts and shifted uncomfortably. A large tattoo was wrapped around her left calf. He saw that it was an intricate drawing of a wolf. It looked like it was crawling up her leg.

"He's the only other person new in town. Edward?" Jasper asked again, staring at her pale legs. Bella was so engrossed in whatever she was doing that she just gave him a noncommittal shrug.

"I'm not a journalist."

"Why you got all these pictures up?"

"For work."

"That's my girl Alice."

"I know. And I know who you are."

"Yeah? You think I killed her too?"

"That's what I'm here to find out." Jasper watched her open a window and light a cigarette.

"You know you can't smoke in here. Rosie's pretty pissed about it."

"I bet that's why you're here." She kept smoking, shifting in her seat. Jasper saw a scar catching light from her neck. They worked quietly together for a couple of minutes. Jasper shot glances at her a couple of times. She looked so young and small, but something about her said she was neither of these things. She had the air of an older soul about her.

"Can I offer you some advice?" Jasper tried again, leaning on the side of his ladder, looking down at her. She let out an exasperated sigh and looked back at him.

"Sure."

"This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone's business, and there ain't no secrets. Watch who you talk to."

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern." Bella flicked her cigarette out the window.

"Cut that shit out. I'll get you an ashtray. Also, I'm sure you are. But if you wanna get anywhere in this town, you're gonna have to make some friends, and with all that sass, you're not gonna get much." Bella crossed her arms and just stared at him.

Jasper could see why his sister didn't like this girl. This Bella Swan, clearly from out of town, was abrasive and unsettling in the way she carried herself. Jasper didn't mind seeing a woman in her underwear, and he was used to it, living with a sister his whole life. But something about this felt wrong. Like a test. Of course, he would never cheat on Alice, and in the last few years only caved once to a drunken night with Lauren Mallory. He had convinced himself that Alice was never coming back, drank himself into a stupor, and let her desperation win. He woke up the next morning in his own bed, with hazy memories of Lauren Mallory's car, and stumbling through the trees to get home.

Jasper finished installing the detector and came down from the ladder to notice Bella had finished eating and was smoking at the window.

"So do I tip you now?" She asked with a hint of a sarcasm. Jasper smirked at her.

"I'll take a smoke." he drawled, walking over to her. She handed him one with her lighter.

"Christ. You reek." she muttered, inhaling a whiff of his body odor. "You smell like a fucking liquor store." Jasper shrugged, lighting the cigarette. They smoked quietly for a few minutes.

"You really don't know Edward?" Jasper turned to her.

"Who?" Bella shrugged.

"Edward. He's a reporter or somethin'. In town, askin' about Alice."

"No."

"You two could help each other." Jasper suggested, putting his cigarette out.

"Probably." She flicked her cigarette out the window along with his, and slid the screen shut. "I don't make nice with others though."

"Neither do I." Bella gave him a half smile that didn't reach her eyes. Sighing, Jasper stood up to gather his things.

"If you wanna talk about Alice, you can come talk to me." he offered. "You know where to find me."

"Yeah, I know." She took a swig out of a Coke can and wiped her mouth with her hand.

Jasper decided he liked this girl. She was like a breath of fresh air. The people he had grown up in town with had become predictable, and he was tired of being treated like a stranger, even if he essentially was one. The false sense of camaraderie and ongoing gossip was something he hated to deal with. He smiled to himself, took one last look at the strange girl, and closed the door behind him.

The second it clicked shut, Bella hopped up on the table and yanked the smoke detector out of the ceiling.

* * *

><p><strong>REVIEW PLEASE! TIL NEXT WEEK! xoxo<strong>


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